Electric switch socket



1927' c. s. CROSS E AL ELECTRIC SWITCH SOCKET Filed Dec, 15, 1925 (Z Z J NVENTORS- ar 6 (Wage Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

tll lllll. STATES EP'EENT oFFI-cE.

onAn-Lns s. cnoss, on BBC-OKLYH, AND orients-s a. SIviETl-E, or rnusirnve, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESHE SEG'NMEIJTS, TO CIRCLE F. MFG. 00,01

TEENTON, NEW JERSEY, A COB-EGRATICEI 8F NE'W' JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SlVITCH SOCKET.

Application filed December 15, 1925. Serial No. 75,509.

This invention relates to electric switch sockets, and has for its primary object to provide simple and efi'ective means for limiting the inward tiireading movement of the terminal plug of a lamp or other electrical appliance to its circuit closing position in the socket and thus obviate the possibility of injury to the switch mechanism.

More particularly, in a practical embodlment of the invention, we provide such stop means for the circuit closing plug as an integral part of the plug receiving socketmember. Preferably, this stop means is in the form of a circumierentially extending indentation intersecting one of the threads of the socket wall.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved electric switch socket and in the form, construction and relative arrangement or the several parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein we have shown a simple and satisfactory embodiment of our present improvements, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved socket showing an electric lamp threaded therein, the enclosing casing or housing for the switch body and the socket being illustrated in section;

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the improved socket n ember;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. t is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the wall of the socket member taken on line l l of Fig. 2, and

5 is a view; of our improved socket member partly in section as used in connection with a pull chain type of switch.

In the particular embodiment of our present improvements which have selected for purposes of illustration, the socket member generally indicated at 5 is in the form of a sheet metal shell, the cylindrical body wall of which is formed with the usual coarse screw thread 6 to receive a corresponding thread 011 the plug 7 of the lamp or other electrical appliance indicated at 8.

The end or base wall 9 of the socket memher as herein shown, is provided with a rectangular opening 10 as seen in Fig. 3 with which parts on the insulating body of the switch are adapted to have interlocking-engagement and whereby saidsocket shell is securely lined and held in proper-contacting relation with a terminal of the switch mechanism (not shown).-

The switch mechanism which preferably, though not necessarily, is of the construction shown in the pending application, of Gharles S. Cross, filed December 18, 1924, Serial No, 756,639, includesasecond circuit closingterminal having a resiliently yielding contact plate 11 disposed in spaced relation to the insulating body of the switch and centrally located within the end ofthe socket member 5.

The threaded body wall 6 of the socket member at a point adjacent to the base wall 9 thereof is formed with a circumferentially extending indentation 12 therein which intersects one of the screw threads. Thus, it will be apparent that this indentation 00- operating with the end thread on the plug 7 acts as an effective stop to limit the threading movement of the plug into the socket shell. The permissible movement of the plug into the shell is however, sufiicient to cause the resilient contact piece 13 on the end of the plug to exert sulhcientpressure against the opposed yieldable contact plate 11 of the switch in order to secure a good electrical connection. However, it will be apparent that by the provision of the indentation 12 in the wall of the socket member or its equivalent, the turning movement of the plug will be positively limited and the possibility of the switch terminals being bent, distorted or broken or the other elements or the switch mechanism forced apart or seriously injured is thus obviated.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that we have provided a. novel construction of the switch socket whereby the desired purpose is accomplished in a very effective manner. A switch socket of this type can be produced at substantially the same manufacturing cost as the present type of such sockets. It is to be understood, however, that other equivalent 2 V i r 1,644,990

means for the circumferential indentation in the socket Wall may be employed, as the essential and important feature of our-improvements resides broadly in, the provision of means carried by the socket and with which the plug cooperates which will positively limit the movement of the plug to its circuit closing position. Therefore, although We have herein shown and described a preferable embodiment of our invention, it is nevertheless, to be understood that the device may be incorporated in numerous other alternative forms and We therefore,

reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I We claim 1.. a

1. An electrical switch socket consisting of a standard sheet metal shell having a cylindrical threaded body wall adapted to.

receive a standard threaded circuit'closing V plug, and means in proximity to the base of the shell and forming part of the shell, with which said plug is adapted to engage to thereby limit the movement of the plug to its circuit closing position.

2. An electric switch socket comprising a standard sheet metal shell having a cylindrithreaded circuit closing plug and a base wall 7 at one end for connection with the body of a switch, said threaded wall of the shell adjacent to said base wall being provided with means forming part of the wall extending circumferentially thereof with which the end of the circuit closing plug is adapted to engage to limit the movement of said plug to its circuit closing position.

3. In an electric switch socket, a standard sheetmetal shell having a cylindrical threaded body Wall to receive a circuit closing plug, said body wall of the shell having a circumferentially extending indentation formed therein intersecting one of the threads intermediate the ends of its threads, said indentahereto.

CHAS. S. CROSS. CHAS. A. SMITH.

tion adapted to be engaged by the screw 

